I posted this some time ago in another thread, but no one replied. So I am reposting it on this forum since most of you are obviously severe to profound if you are considering implants or a cochlear. I am severe to profound and struggle with the problems associated with tight earmolds, feedback, and infections that result from having to use power aids. In hopes that others may benefit, I am simply reposting the website of this startup company to bring your attention to it. The company is Earlens corporation and it has a website here: http://www.earlenscorp.com The Earlens is a new kind of hearing aid that does not occlude the ear. It does this by converting sound to light pulses that are transmitted by an optical fiber that directs the pulses to an actuator in contact directly on the ear drum. This seems to be a very promising approach to me, and the company has done a small trial with it.
See my previous post on 4-11 if you are interested and go to the website for a good video on how it works.
McAfee is warning me against going to that site.
No warnings here with Safari on a Mac.
I had no issues accessing the website via Safari on my computer either. I can’t find anything on the Earlens website that mentions the fitting range. Is it for mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss? Does it cover sensorineural, conductive, or mixed hearing loss? Are there actually clinical trials taking place? The concept seems interesting, but I’m guessing it will be a long while before it arrives in Canada. Typically we get things a year or two later than the U.S.
No, it is not warning about not being able to access. It had something to do with either what information the site captures or some other activity.
There is one published study of the EarLens device available from PubMed. It was a small study of only 16 people who had no problems over various time periods up to 10 months. These subjects ranged from normal hearing to moderate loss only. Obviously more studies over a broader range of loss must occur if this device ever gets to market.
Fay JP, Perkins R, Levy SC, Nilsson M, Puria S. (2013) Preliminary Evaluation of a Light-Based Contact Hearing Device for the Hearing Impaired. Otology & Neurotology 34:912-921
georged193;
Thank you for providing a link to research. For some reason my Google search didn’t bring this article up!
Kerry
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I will stick with aids that I can totally remove at will until I can’t avoid it which is unlikely. I feel for the individuals that have to resort to implants. My vision is also very poor, I just don’t think I would participate in anything extraordinary such as stem cell injections or implants. I guess I am too old to be adventurous, even if I become totally blind.
Just my two cents worth. I consider myself fortunate.
Jeff
You are indeed fortunate. I hope you do not progress to severe/profound like I did. Earmolds are fine if they are vented and short. Put vents on my current long, tight, and uncomfortable earmolds and the superpower hearing aids I must now wear whine with serious feedback problems. Despite the claims, newer feedback suppression systems are imperfect at best. Unvented earmolds also lead to numerous infections. I would gladly trade these tight corks of earmolds in for a fiber optic system like the earlens. It would not really be an implant at all. Just a new and more sophisticated external hearing aid. No big surgery involved.
Go to PubMed Search: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524632
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Go to PubMed Search: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524632